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Potty politics

We are in the middle of toilet training our 2-year-old son, with our new daughter due in a few weeks. What can we expect?

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A:

In a word: regression. When the new baby arrives, much of your focus will be on her diapers—specifically, the pee and poop in those diapers. It can be hard for a toddler to see so much attention being paid to one family member’s elimination habits at the same time he’s supposed to be growing up and giving up his “nappies.”

Many doctors recommend toilet training at age 2, but I would hold off until your son is 3 or older. If you try to make large changes in his life now—such as potty training, moving him into a big bed or starting preschool—he may associate them with his sister and resent her. It’s far better to do things months in advance of the baby—or, better still, months after.

Whenever you do start potty training, keep toddler-size diapers and Pull-Ups handy: If you’re driving with a “potty-trained” toddler and he says, “Gotta pee,” you’ve got a 60- to 90-second warning. Don’t be in a rush to ditch the dipes.